Separating beauties from beasts

Nail Art Tutorial: Spider & Web Nails

Here are some really simple Spider & Web Nails I did not long ago. It’s all freehand and doesn’t take long to do.

Looking back now, I wish that I had done more spiders and just one cobweb as the accent nail because I like the spider more than the web.

This Hallowe’en nail art reminds me of Charlotte’s Web. Do you remember that children’s book? It was one of my favourites, and I also enjoyed watching the movie. Oh, Wilbur was so cute, but I really fell in love with Charlotte.

I went with a silver so that the black spider would stand out. This is Revlon Carbonite, and it had a super-pigmented formula and it dries verrrry quickly. So if you take too long painting over the same area, the polish clumps up! The trick is to work quickly with this one. (Thanks to Carmela from Polished Indulgence for sending me this gorgeous colour!)

You might consider painting one or more of your nails black and then doing a silver-cobweb design on those. I just went with all black cobwebs.

Wait about 8-10 minutes to allow this to dry a bit before continuing to the next step. (If you’re actually using Revlon Carbonite, you can go on your way pretty quickly…basically right after you’ve finished painting all of your nails!)

2 coats of Revlon Carbonite

Step 3: Begin the Spider’s Web

I used my black striper to draw lines along my nails. I found that it’s easier if you paint one diagonal line on each nail where you want the web. Then, start your next lines at the same point near the top, but fan out the bottom as shown below.

Step 4: Finish the Spider’s Web

With short lines, paint on the horizontal lines. You may want to curve them more than I did.

Step 5: Start Your Spider

Dab on some black polish onto your nail. The dabbing motion will give you better control, and you can shape the circle more easily than if you try to paint it on. At least, this is what I’ve found with my experience.

I also suggest that if you intend to have the spider dangling down your nail by a thread of webbing that you start the spider further down your nail than I did.

Step 6: Give Your Spider Legs

Using my striper, I added a total of 8 legs. I liked putting them on in pairs. You may want to make the hind legs longer than the front legs.

Step 7: Give Your Spider Sight

Add some yellow polish onto your piece of foil. Dip your dotting tool or even the handle of a brush into the polish. Add 2 dots.

You could use white polish, but I felt that the yellow gave it more of a creepy-crawler feel.

Wait a few minutes before proceeding to the next step.

Step 8: Add Pupils

Add some black polish to your piece of foil. Dip your dotting tool into it, and add the pupils. I chose to add the pupils near the bottom of the yellow circles so the spider is looking down. Feel free to give it crazy eyes, or make it look in another direction.

Wait about 15 minutes to allow this all to dry a bit before continuing to the next step.

Step 9: Add a Top Coat

Step 10: Don’t Scream the Next Time You See a Spider

Do spiders make you squeamish? Would you try these cobwebs or spiders on your nails? What’s your favourite insect?

24 thoughts on “Nail Art Tutorial: Spider & Web Nails”

They look witchy to me! They would fit perfectly if you would wear a witch costume I don’t like huge spiders but smaller spiders don’t annoy me that much. I never read Charlotte’s web but I did saw the movie and I bawled my eyes out. Such a sad ending!

Love how you did this, Mary! 😀 The black really pops against Carbonite and using yellow for the eyes was a great little detail that I appreciate very much. I find I like my nail art to be fun but simple and nothing too over the top. Your style fits it perfectly. I would definitely want to try this one out!

I just really try to take my time when a design calls for detail. If I try to paint it fast, the striper brush will probably not go where I want it to. But if I go really slowly, it’s easier to manage. And, with the spider’s legs, a striper brush makes it so much easier to make the lines. It’s okay if they’re of different lengths.

I’m happy that you’re going to try this design. If you snap some photos, could you please share them with me? I’d love to see how your take on it. 😀

I feel like it has been eons since I’ve left a comment on your blog… I’ve been skimming them (a quick preview of my evening read you know)… but then I have been really busy in the evening… enough about me onto your FANTABULISTIC NAILS!
Where do I start! I love Carbonite on you! In some of the photos it almost gives off a goldfish glow… was that the case in real life too? (if so, I must buy it)
Those spiders! How clever of you to put the legs forward and backward… I would have just spread them out evenly on either side but this way they look so much more pleasant!!! And good on you to give mommy and baby some bonding time… its good for the little critters development 😉
I EXPECTED you to own a copy of this book actually 😀 Do you know, that I didn’t read it until I was in second year University?! I know, because I came to Canada late I missed out
And finally, who are we to blame the little fuzz for wanting a few glamour shots some webs are meant to be woven 😉Marta recently posted: New Bohemian- Triplet Post

Yes, it has been that long. I now have all-white hair and resemble a shrivelled grape. But that’s realllly good considering that it’s been eons. 😉

Aww…unfortunately Carbonite is mainly a dull, brushed silver kind of finish. If I strained to look, I could sometimes see just a smidgeon of gold, but I’d say it’s more silver/gray than anything else. The middle of my nails tended to be slightly lighter-looking than the edges, but it was subtle. Hope that helps!

Want to know a secret? Haha, the leg placement wasn’t even along either side because I didn’t leave enough room, so that’s really how I ended up painting the legs on that way. 😛 I’m just glad it worked out.

Did you cry at the end when you read the book? Hey, better that you read it late than never! (I think, actually, that was the first book I ever read that made me bawl my eyes out.)

Also, did you see the movie? It was surprisingly good and also a real tear-jerker.

Aww…don’t say that. I think it just takes practice. And you’re probably a lot better than you think at nail art. It’s all about experimentation and doing something you like even if it’s not perfect. Besides, “perfect” designs are often boring because they don’t look like they’ve been done by machines instead of by hand.

A year or so ago, I didn’t think that I could do ANY nail art because I can’t draw well. I was also really worried about what people might say and how they’d rip me to shreds for my lackluster designs that I aired out on this blog. But I forced myself to just try painting designs anyway. Along the way, I just learned that it doesn’t have to wind up perfect. The design just has to make you happy. Once I started thinking this way, it motivated me to try new designs. And, yeah, so I’m not a nail professional, but I love polish and wearing designs I’ve done myself. That’s worth it alone!

Hehe, I can picture it now. You have these on your nails…and then something furry tickles your arm. *Blood-curdling screams* 😛

When I was younger and living at home with my parents, I’d always scream if I saw a spider on the wall in my room. (Just couldn’t help it.) My dad would come running upstairs quickly only to find out that his daughter was being a chicken.

Hehe, he said not to scream like that unless it’s an emergency, because it sounded like something far worse was happening than just seeing a spider.

My father LOVED spiders. He showed my mom and I several documentaries on all sorts of spiders – many were hairy and just creepy. Of course, being a total jerk, I knew my mom was squeamish like me, and when we were watching this one disgusting scene with what looked like a whole pit full of spiders, I tickled her arm on the sly and SHE JUMPED OFF THE SOFA! Haha, I’m mean, but it WAS pretty funny…and I was just a kid, so I have that as an excuse. 😉

This is creepily adorable! 😀 This is the perfect finishing touch to my Halloween constume this year!

…little note, though: a spider is not an insect. Insects, or hexapoda, have 6 legs; arachnids (spiders) have 8. Among other characteristics. I’m sorry for being a know-it-all, I guess I’m just still annoyed that the adorable spider earrings I bought for this costume have only 6 legs…